Excitement for Kohyn Eshkawkogan bubbles as season approaches
With the final pick of the first round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, the Ottawa 67’s took Manitoulin Island native, Kohyn Eshkawkogan.
The five-foot-10 defenceman spent last season with the North York Rangers, where he scored 65 points in 76 games, reaching the semi-final of the OHL Cup. Eshkawkogan was over a point per game in the tournament, and finished a plus five.
Still, he didn’t earn the hype some others did, with many mock drafts leaving him out of the first round, or even neglecting to mention him altogether.
Now, as the Barber Poles prepare themselves for their home opener against the Niagara IceDogs on Friday night, it’s expected that Eshkawkogan will not only make his OHL debut, but also play an important role in the 67’s success this season. Oh yeah, not to mention, he doesn’t turn 16 until November 19th.
“There are a lot of defencemen now that pride themselves on offence, and defensive defenceman are very few and far between now,” Stoykewych said. “Kohyn brings a little bit of everything. He can move the puck, he moves his feet really well when he defends, he defends hard, he’s got an unbelievable stick, and he’s got really good poise.”
At development camp a couple of months back, Eshkawkogan’s potential leapt off the page, that much was obvious. He was a smooth skater with tremendous IQ, but the package wasn’t quite OHL-ready, he would admit.
Over the summer, that slowly began to change. In the gym, he was a dedicated student, putting on 13 pounds. He participated in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Grand Prairie, Alberta, flashing his talent, scoring 13 more points, with five goals, and earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Defenceman award.
“He came back from development camp to main camp this summer, and he’s a little bit taller and he’s a lot stronger,” Stoykewych said. “He looks after himself off the ice, he puts in the time in the gym, and you can see it’s a direct result into his game.”
With Kaleb Dietsch missing the beginning of the season due to injury, the Barber Poles are left with only six defencemen on the roster. The pairings for opening night are yet to be set, and as the season trucks along, there will likely be some movement, but there is an opportunity here for Eshkawkogan to cement himself in the 67’s lineup for the long haul.
“To have a young defenseman step up into a role where you know he’s going to get opportunity immediately is exciting,” Stoykewych explained. “It’s just another layer of depth to our defensive core.”
Tantalizing as it is, throwing a 15-year-old kid into the fire like that comes with drawbacks. At least early in his junior career, Stoykewych says there will be some element of protection around the youngster, even though he’s fully confident Eshkawkogan can hit the ground running.
“As a staff, myself included, we have to be very cautious,” he commented. “I don’t want to put him in situations that overwhelm him, or put him in positions that can limit confidence and hurt his execution. I have to remind myself, even though he’s a mature young adult, he’s still 15 years old, and he still hasn’t played one regular season game in this league.”
When Eshkawkogan has garnered attention in the past, it has been his offensive production that has been the talk of the town, but that’s not necessarily his best attribute. He’s a smooth skater, and cerebral at his own end of the rink, intelligently navigating defensive coverages and various scenarios through the preseason.
It’s still only early days, but Eshkawkogan hasn’t blindly wandered into this golden opportunity; he has earned it.
“I hope he’s coming in with his eyes wide open, and I hope he’s excited,” Stoykewych said. “This is a really cool opportunity for him, because it’s pretty rare to have a 15-year-old defenseman step in and secure a role. It’s a learning opportunity, especially early, and he still has to earn it [going forward]. He’s done a really good job thus far, and he’s put his best foot forward.”
